Epoxy floors are a go-to solution in commercial and industrial settings for those who are searching to create a barrier between their work environment and the concrete below. Epoxy floors are known for their durability and strength. However, as with any specialty flooring, epoxy floors require proper care to avoid damage.
Below, we’ll discuss the eight causes of epoxy flooring damage on concrete and how to avoid them.
These are the eight top causes of epoxy flooring damage.
Successful installation is essential to create a strong bond between epoxy and concrete. Your concrete floor must remain pristine for the epoxy coating to bond properly. If your concrete floors are not clean, dry, or dust-free, the epoxy coating will attach itself to the contaminants instead of the concrete flooring.
Once you’ve addressed any contaminants, such as dirt and dust, you should address the next thing affecting epoxy bonding: high humidity. When you have solvent-based epoxy coatings, they don’t bond well when there’s moisture present. Being in an environment that has excessive humidity can lead to a weaker bond or prevent bonding from occurring at all.
To prevent humidity from becoming an issue, you should ensure your concrete floors are ultimately dry, ensure you have no leaks present, and don’t have humidity coming up from below.
An epoxy floor can only be as great as the substrate a professional installs it over. Therefore, when the epoxy coating begins to separate from the concrete, the epoxy can often be misdiagnosed as a problem. However, in certain situations, the epoxy bond may be stronger than the concrete it’s on, so it separates.
In some ways, epoxy is comparable to paint. Professionals apply epoxy in a liquid form which develops into a solid coating. Using the correct primer, you can assist the epoxy in bonding to the concrete and creating a durable adhesion.
In commercial and industrial settings, concrete floors receive a lot of wear and tear. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure a proper primer is applied that matches the needs of the substrate.
A contaminated concrete floor is standard in buildings with weak floors, such as factories, garages, and chemical plants. Therefore, when professionals install epoxy coating in these areas, professionals must prepare to ensure that contaminants that would cause epoxy floors to become damaged are removed or remediated.
You may be entertaining the idea of epoxy flooring if your concrete floors aren’t in great shape. Whether you work in a commercial plant or garage, concrete floors experience a lot of wear and tear. If your concrete floor is in rough shape, an epoxy coating may seem like a quick fix to cover up the stains and improve the look of your concrete.
However, stains can carry oil and chemicals that can rise through your concrete floor after the epoxy coating is applied and creates damage. These stains can escape through the concrete, puddle underneath, and cause bubbles.
To prevent stains, some concrete floors have sealants. However, professionals must remove these sealants before installing an epoxy coating. Failure to remove the sealants will cause the epoxy to not correctly bond to the concrete underneath it, creating bubbles and flaking.
To determine whether your concrete floors have a sealant, pour water on them. If you notice the water beading up or not soaking into your concrete floor, you most likely have a sealant.
While stain and sealant removal are essential, removing any cleaning agents from your concrete floors is also necessary. Cleaning agents may have water and chemicals that can leave residue behind and cause bubbles, similar to stains.
You shouldn’t let it dry on your concrete floors to ensure you have removed cleaning agents. When cleaning agents dry to concrete floors, they can absorb the liquids, which can cause the epoxy coating not correctly to bond to the floor.
Below are five approaches you can take to avoid epoxy flooring damage.
Cleaning and maintaining epoxy floors is easy but they are prone to dirt and stains. Epoxy floors are durable and last a long time; however, keeping epoxy flooring free of dirt and stains is still recommended. When removing dirt, use a soft broom to avoid scratching the surface.
Even though epoxy floors are prone to stains and dirt, you should choose a floor cleaner carefully because the wrong cleaner can affect the gloss of your epoxy floors. Some cleaners are soap-based and can leave a film that can be challenging to get rid of.
Avoid acid-based citrus cleaners because they can damage your epoxy floors. Instead, you can use a mixture of water and ammonia to clean up stains.
To avoid dirt and grime, floor mats are a great option, especially in garage settings. You should also place rubber mats under any heavy furniture to prevent scratching your epoxy floors.
If you have epoxy on your garage floors, oil spills are every day but also risky. When dealing with an oil spill, you should clean the spill quickly to avoid permanent stains on your epoxy floors. You can clean oil stains using a non-abrasive cleaner and a soft scrub brush.
Some stains are difficult to remove and require a good scrub with a soft scrub brush. To remove stains, use warm water and scrub gently to extract them properly. You can use a gentle scrubbing technique to leave your epoxy floors looking fresh and shiny.
At Jersey Epoxy, we focus on maintaining a standard of excellence and take pride in our service. Our professionals provide you with the best quality epoxy flooring that meets the needs of your residential, commercial, or industrial project.
At Jersey Epoxy, we can take on any project, big or small. Our priority is customer satisfaction and giving you the best product and a budget-friendly cost. So if you’ve been thinking about getting epoxy flooring, call us today.
If you have any questions or concerns, Contact Jersey Epoxy for your epoxy flooring needs today.
Address: 460 Faraday Ave, Building C, Jackson Township, NJ 08527
Phone Number: 877-376-9965
Email: [email protected]
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We are dedicated to catering to you with the finest quality Epoxy Flooring that fulfills the need of your Residential, Commercial, Retail, or Industrial Flooring project.
877-376-9965
[email protected]
2486 Ridgeway Blvd, Manchester Township,
NJ 08759